Man sentenced to prison for sex crimes targeting boys

A Medford man who committed sex crimes against three young boys has been sentenced to almost 6 years in prison.

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Posted Jul. 17, 2013 at 4:25 PM
Updated Jul 17, 2013 at 7:25 PM

Posted Jul. 17, 2013 at 4:25 PM
Updated Jul 17, 2013 at 7:25 PM

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A Medford man who committed sex crimes against three young boys has been sentenced to almost 6 years in prison.

Grant Self, 61, befriended the children's parents, then used that relationship to abuse their children, said Jackson County Deputy District Attorney Adam Peterson.

"I'm glad that these young boys and law enforcement held (Self) accountable under the law," Peterson said.

Self pleaded guilty today in the county's circuit court to a single count each of using a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct — a Measure 11 crime — and attempted sexual abuse and attempted use of a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct. He was sentenced to 70 months in prison by Judge Timothy Barnack for the first charge, and 24- and 30-month concurrent sentences on the other two charges.

Barnack stated he has zero tolerance for crimes against children. He praised the boys for speaking up about their abuse.

"Your children are heroes for coming forward," Barnack told the boys' parents. "You tell them the judge said that about them."

All three child are exceptionally vulnerable to abuse because of their special needs, said Peterson. Self preyed on the boys, creating a two-year friendship with at least one of the victims.

Self told the mother he was taking the boy to go pick vegetables. Instead he drive the child to location with a hot tub. Self stripped naked, got in the tub, and told the child to do the same, Peterson said.

The boy's mother said her autistic son has been unable to sleep alone in his bed, has had ongoing panic attacks and suffered other emotional trauma after Self's attempted sexual abuse.

"He actually became quite suicidal," she said. "For these kids, it is never going to be over."

The father of the two other children choked back tears as he recounted the horror of realizing his children had been sexually abused by Self.

"This is the last thing I thought of when I had kids," he said. "I worried about drugs or them getting hit by a car. I don't see how someone can find a sexual urge for a child."

Each parent said they agreed to accept the plea bargain because they did not want to put their children through the added trauma of a trial.

Self said he "never set out to harm anyone" after reading off a list of ailments he suffers from that ranged from cancer to a bad back.